How to make gooseberry jam

How to make gooseberry jam

How to make gooseberry jam

by Great British Chefs6 July 2015

How to make gooseberry jam

Gooseberries are a quintessentially English fruit which have been popular since Victorian times. Having taken a hit in recent years due to the rise in popularity of other fruits such as blueberries and raspberries, gooseberries are now having a bit of a revival and are once again cropping up in supermarkets thanks to increasing interest in baking and preserve-making at home. Gooseberries are naturally high in pectin which makes for an easy jam – all you need is equal quantities of fruit and sugar.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

1
Wash and top and tail the gooseberries then place them in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and add 150ml water
2
Bring to the boil and simmer for 8–10 minutes until the gooseberries are soft but not mushy. Put a small plate into the fridge
3
Add the sugar to the saucepan and heat slowly until it has completely dissolved. It is important heat it slowly as it will prevent the sugar from burning on the bottom of the pan
4
Once all the sugar has dissolved, turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Boil for 8–10 minutes until it becomes syrupy in consistency
5
To test the set, take a small amount of jam and put it on to the plate in the fridge. If a skin forms, the jam is ready to take off the heat. If not, keep boiling and repeat the process
6
Leave the jam to cool for at least 15 minutes before transferring to sterilised jars and sealing

Variations

This is the most basic form of gooseberry jam; it can be enhanced with various different flavours depending on your taste. Elderflower and gooseberry go particularly well together and are in season at the same time – add fresh elderflowers when boiling the gooseberries or, if you can't find fresh, you could stir in a little elderflower cordial before bottling. Spices such as cinnamon and ginger also go well with gooseberry jam.

Serving suggestions

Gooseberry jam is wonderful simply spread on toast but can also be used in desserts such as a trifle, piped into doughnuts or even spooned into summer cocktails.

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